Mexico's super stadium the right choice for 2026 World Cup opener

Many football fans around the world, including in South Africa, mistakenly believe that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted solely by the United States. In fact, the tournament will be co-hosted by three North American countries: Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host the opening match on Thursday, June 11, 2026. With a capacity of 87,000, it will become the first stadium in World Cup history to host three opening matches, having previously done so in 1970 and 1986. The opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca promises to celebrate Mexico’s rich football heritage while offering a glimpse into the broader cultural legacy of the Americas. Expect the ceremony to showcase elements of Aztec history. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica—the root of the modern name “Mexico”—were the architects of a sophisticated Mesoamerican civilization centered in what is now central and southern Mexico. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, was founded in 1325, and their society thrived until the Spanish conquest in 1521. The Aztec civilization contributed significantly to the world’s knowledge and culture. Innovations such as the chinampa system of floating gardens, step pyramids, a 260-day religious calendar, the macuahuitl weapon, and extensive canoe transportation networks reflect their advanced society. Education was mandatory and comprehensive, blending practical skills with religious and military instruction. The 2026 World Cup will conclude with the final match on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, bringing together fans from across the globe to celebrate the beautiful game.

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Zambia - just do it!

Zambia is standing on the verge of a soccer history, which was delayed for nearly 20 years. In 1993 Zambia’s team, which is strongly believed to have been one of the most formidable national teams the continent of Africa has ever produced, crashed from the air off the coast of Gabon. On that fateful day on 27 April 1993 the squad were heading to Dakar, Senegal, for a 1994 World Cup qualifier. Their plane had made a brief stop at Gabonese captial of Libreville for refueling and other technical checks, before crashing into the Atlantic Ocean on takeoff. The only survivors from that team were midfielders, Kalusha Bwalya and Charly Musonda, who were both based in Netherlands and Belgium respectively. Their circumstances for not being on the DHC-5 Buffalo plane are different. Bwalya, who at the time played for Ajax Amsterdam, had made his own arrangements to travel to Dakar, while Musonda could not travel to Lusaka to join his teammates due to injury. He was at the time playing fo...

Morocco vs Comoros to set tone for Afcon

African football stands on the cusp of another compelling chapter as the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, December 21. While the opening fixture between hosts Morocco and Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat may not immediately stir memories of classic AFCON showdowns, the tournament itself carries a weight of expectation that extends far beyond the first whistle. Morocco arrives as both host nation and one of the continent’s most formidable footballing powers. The Atlas Lions have enjoyed a golden period in recent years, highlighted by their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and consistent dominance at youth and club levels. With a squad brimming with Europe-based stars, tactical maturity, and home support behind them, Morocco are widely tipped as favourites to lift the trophy. For many fans, AFCON 2026 represents an opportunity for the North African giants to finally translate their promise into continenta...

More than football: Sudan’s Falcons fly for a broken nation in Morocco

Sudan’s improbable march into the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is already one of the tournament’s most powerful stories. On Saturday, January 3, in Tangier, the Falcons of Jediane face continental heavyweights Senegal in the round of 16, carrying with them not only tactical plans and match-day hopes, but the weight of a nation shattered by war yet unwilling to surrender its dreams. That Sudan even qualified for the Morocco tournament borders on the miraculous. Forced into exile by a brutal civil war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the national team has lived up to its falcon moniker by soaring far beyond its broken homeland to survive. Home matches were staged abroad, preparations scattered across foreign soil, including Saudi Arabia, and players lived as displaced men rather than celebrated athletes. Yet, against all odds, Sudan squeezed through Group E as one of the best third-placed teams be...

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